Recent reviews by CheckSix

I've been a PC gamer since the early 80s, having now spent a significant portion of my life gaming (loving every second of it by the way). There is something about Space Haven that tickles those strong nostalgic vibes. I've played dozens of similar titles, but this is one of the few that seems to have the "something" many miss. There is a sense of balance of story telling, personal freedom, progression, and adventure elements that make it deeply memorable.

As a resident of Utah who has lived and driven in nearly every corner of the state, this is a highly recommended DLC. SCS didn't quite get all of my personal top 10 Utah road locations included. What they do offer in this DLC is top quality. It will give you a very realistic sense of what driving in Utah is like.

What I wish was added:
* More detail in the St. George and Hurricane areas.
* Bryce Canyon
* Zion National Park (would be tons of fun to drive through)
* More detail around Provo, Orem, Lehi.
* More detail in Salt Lake City
* Lots more detail in Northern Utah cities like Logan and Tremonton.
* Delta, with the local Japanese Internment Camp as a destination.
* Additional detail for the Salt Flats (probably Utah's second most iconic destination).

Wheel controller highly recommended. We use a Logitech G29 and it is fantastic. Multiple gamers in our home love getting behind the wheel and enjoying this title.

I really enjoy Flashing Lights. It offers just enough of a flavor of being a first responder that you can get something out of it. The online RP community is great, and it isn't uncommon to find a professional firefighter or police officer playing the game with the rest of us.

The major issue holding this title back are the bugs. Every update brings new features, and also new bugs. The challenge is that the bugs get introduced in to parts of the game that seemingly weren't even updated. Old features that used to work suddenly don't work. Bug fixes often regress. Multiplayer servers have to be regularly restarted due to the compounding bugs that break missions, get players stuck, and ruin the experience.

What I find interesting is just how few of the bugs are actually reported by other players. I don't know if they just don't care, have given up waiting for a fix, or have a high tolerance for issues as there are few titles like this on the market. If you purchase this title simply be aware you WILL be dealing with many bugs from annoying to game breaking. Many of these bugs will not be fixed, and the number of bugs will go up over time. If you are okay with that, then by all means check out the title.

I absolutely love substitution ciphers. The problem is that I deeply loath the mechanics of solving them. So deeply, in fact, that rarely do I engage in the process of deciphering a written puzzle. The process of solving the puzzles in Prose & Codes removes the monotonous drudgery normally associated with substitution ciphers. It allows for quick changes, rapid association between cipher letters, restarting with a single click, and the ability to make the puzzle as easy as you'd like.

Having just completed the first "chapter" in Prose & Codes (52 puzzles), it feels far enough in to write a review. There were a few settings in the game I instantly appreciated. The first was the ability to adjust difficulty. With the first few puzzles, I chose an "easy" difficulty to get used to the mechanics of the solving system. This gives the player pre-solved letters for the more common vowels & consents. I quickly moved to "hard" mode, with no hints except for spaces between words and punctuation marks. Sadly, there wasn't a way to choose an "ultra" mode that would remove spaces and marks for those who love an extreme challenge. It is possible to change modes mid-game, though any in progress puzzles will be reset with the new difficulty. A "progressive" mode is also included, but I did not try this. The only other very welcome feature in the settings was the ability to choose a "dark mode."

The solution to each cipher is a famous and well chosen phrase from a classic novel. The game is associated with Project Gutenberg, an on-line database of great works in literature in the public domain, made available for free. After solving the puzzle it is possible to reveal the book title and author from which the quote is chosen. The game also includes a "read" mode where the player can click a link on a solved puzzle to be taken to the full text of the novel. There are 52 puzzles in seven categories. I think my only complaint is that there isn't a community add-on pack or additional DLC to extend the game play. A "random" mode that would select a random segment from a classic novel would add infinite replayability, something that the game needs.

The joy of the game comes from two places: The well chosen phrases from some of the best writers in history. The effective and hassle free interface for solving them. Some puzzles can be solved in just a few seconds in hard mode. Others may take several minutes. Once the puzzle is solved it reveals themed art-work associated with the phrase or idea represented in the novel. It is a beautiful touch that reveals the labor of love this game must have been for its developers.

Prose & Codes will probably not appeal to everyone. Not only should you have an interest in substitution cipher puzzles, but you also need to have at least minimal interest in classic literature. Prose & Codes would most likely appeal to older teens and adults. It is for those looking for a more cerebral experience than the latest slash and grab bullet-storm mayhem normally found on Steam. I am so grateful this game exists. I gladly paid full price for the game, and should any additional DLC be added in the future, I am confident I would instantly make a purchase.

For those who value literature, and can actually spell that word without a spell-checker, this game is a must-own.

I don't know why playing a game that simulates a really dissatisfying chore is so... satisfying. I have a real power washer in the garage, but I'm not about to break it out and clean the house to "relax." Yet, this game has a totally relaxing quality you wouldn't expect. There isn't much replay value right now. The "dirt" isn't procedurally generated. It is always in the same places in the same amount. There are also a limited number of maps to complete cleaning. Either the map/object count needs to significantly increase, or a way needs to be found to apply random dirt to surfaces. Otherwise, there isn't much reason to play it again after completing the main missions.

True to the title, it is short. The mechanics and story are charming and chill. I played the game with my younger children. They liked the story and exploring the island with me. This game is begging to be expanded with new islands or additional quests. The ending came too suddenly for such an enjoyable and relaxed game mechanic. The one issue we have is with the camera controls. It can be very hard to play the game with a keyboard & mouse due to the controls switching directions as the camera perspective is force-shifted to a specific point of view. Looking forward to some future release of A LONG Hike.

Look at the play times. Look at the price. Best value ever.

The gameplay is super relaxed. Once you get to the higher levels, it becomes very easy. It is a great game to play with your children.

I want to recommend this game to encourage the developer to keep adding to this title. It is fun, it just needs more content.

Cons:
- Only five puzzles are available to solve. (Each puzzle has several difficulty levels.)
- Animation effect is very limited. Items moving in the breeze, cat wagging tail, etc. Needs far more animation.
- The music is repetitive. It is nice, there simply needs to be more of it.
- No zoom option makes solving harder puzzles essentially impossible unless you have a gigantic monitor. (Each piece is too small to see).
- There is no mechanism to keep sorted or grouped pieces organized when shuffling, making harder puzzle difficulties frustrating instead of fun.
- When moving large sub-sections of the puzzle, but not yet in the right spot, there is significant lag when dragging it around.
- No timer or statistics to challenge yourself.
- Only standard jigsaw. No other special modes (would love to see a time limited challenge mode and leader board).
- Nothing to unlock, build, or grow. The five puzzles start unlocked at all difficulties.

Pro:
- Satisfying using the animation to help solve the puzzle, for those areas that have it.
- Images very well thought out to make a challenging puzzler.
- The images themselves are tranquil pixel art scenes of life in Japan. They are unique and quite nice.
- The piece sorting options reduce some of the less enjoyable aspects of solving a digital jigsaw. You can sort by edge parts, shuffle unsolved pieces, or show the image you are solving (in place, under the actually puzzle - makes it far to easy).
- Keyboard and mouse shortcuts are available (though limited).